Sons following their fathers into the boxing ring is nothing new. ‘He comes from a fighting family’ is one of the sport’s most well-versed descriptors. But when your father is the former unified cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, it takes on more significance.
From the first moment Evan Holyfield walked into a boxing gym people were aware of who he was – and who had opened the door for him.
Stepping out of Evander’s shadow has been the goal ever since then. ‘I wanted to do something, not just to be proud of myself but to have something I could call my own,’ he said. The 23-year-old Evan is the middle child of the 11 Holyfield children and the first to follow in their father’s footsteps.
After an amateur career that spanned close to 80 fights, he turned professional in November 2019, marking the occasion with a 16-second demolition job on his debut that went viral.
The skilled super welterweight cuts an imposing figure in the ring at 6ft 2in, blessed with speed and power with one former trainer believing he has the talent to add to the Holyfield legend. (Metro)